When Strangers Meet
by Last Angel in Hell
Summary: AU. Logan had little to no memory or what his life had been like. He remembered pain and he remembered being on the run. He had been on the run for longer than he could remember but he found his attention drawn towards a lone girl managing more than he would have thought possible from one person. He watched her. Rated M. Set pre-X1.


I don't own anything you recognize from the movies, the cartoons or the comics. I'm borrowing without permission and with no intention of making any profit from it.

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Aris' POV will be in _italic text_

Logan's POV will be in normal text

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**When strangers meet**

He watched her work. She had no idea he had been watching her on and off for weeks. He was curious about her and how she moved as if she was a machine. Fully focused on the work in front of her and completely oblivious to her surroundings, she set to work from early morning till after sunset.

She was by far the most interesting woman he had run into and he had yet to speak with her. Not that he was much of a talker, but something about her made him want to speak up and make contact with her. Her eyes seemed dead and she showed no sign of emotion other than when she spoke to her dog, Kellan, who'd reply with a "woof" and wag his tail at her. She did her work with ease. He had early noted that the dog was fully aware of him being there. The dog would come up to him as he watched her to make sure he didn't pose any threat and was happy with a pat on the head. He found it amusing that she didn't notice the dog's actions but at the same time he worried. Why didn't she show any other signs of life? Why was he worrying about a girl he didn't even know?

After weeks of watching her he knew most of her daily routines by heart. In fact, it made him feel like a stalker but he couldn't stop watching her. She captivated him. He'd smile to himself as he took in her rugged appearance. She didn't care much for showing off, but then again, she was working in the barn either shoveling manure, chopping wood or simply feeding and caring about the animals. Her dark mahogany hair seemed to always be tied up in a messy bun on the top of her head and only a few strands of hair managed to escape to form a frame around her slightly rounded cheeks.

He figured she was about 5'7" and even if she was dressed in an overall that was way too big, he could see the overall tight around all the right places. Her hips were wide and her chest was more than a hand and a mouthful. The thought of what she'd be wearing underneath the overall made his stomach tighten and he found himself breathing hard and imagining her wearing much less than she was.

He had yet to see the color of her eyes but her face was jeweled with the cutest pair of glasses he had seen. Though cute was not the right word, the glasses seemed to put her somewhere in the middle of "sexy librarian" and "book worm". Her lips were full and he couldn't bring himself to look away every time she'd bite her lower lip in concentration.

She would wake up ten minutes to six every morning and start the day off with a can of coke and a sandwich. At six thirty she was out the door and headed over to the barn to feed the animals. Two hours later she'd be done and headed out to check on the fences or to pick vegetables from the garden. She'd spend the rest of the day doing random chores like cleaning the house or weeding. At four in the afternoon shed head back into the barn to feed the animals and at seven p.m. she'd do the rounds to double and triple check that all the lights were off, all the locks were locked and then she'd finally sink down onto the bench in front of her small cabin and bury her face in her hands.

She was a puzzle. Not once had he seen anyone there with her. She was living in the middle of nowhere with nothing but her dog and the farm animals to keep her company.

He took a deep breath and he picked up on a smell he didn't smell often. Tears. His senses picked up and he stared at the girl who, like every other day, was sitting on the bench only today she had her knees pulled to her chest and her face buried against them. He heard her sniffle and her body shook as tear after tear escaped her. His heart reached out for her and he wanted to run over and wrap his arms around her but he knew he couldn't.

He watched her speak to her dog but moved out of sight when he saw her looking ahead. He watched her as her nose wrinkled and she rose from her seat and went inside.

He scared himself. He barely knew who he was and here he was spying on a girl he didn't know. His past was troubled and he didn't remember much of it but what he did remember left him with nightmares beyond explanation. He had woken up to shredded pillows and blankets. He had woken to find his windows broken or a new doorway having appeared sometime during the night. He had left his apartment behind and left to find answers.

His search brought him from Canada to Alaska and he had followed the coast south crossing back into Canada before following the American-Canadian border to North Dakota. He drove part of the way, he rode a bike and walked the rest of the way. He enjoyed his time in Montana but as winter closed in he continued trekking west.

He watched her till she rose from her seat and went into the cabin and locked the door behind her. He stayed till the lights went out before retreating.

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_Aris sighed as she pulled her legs to her chest and buried her face against her knees. Tears came faster that evening than she anticipated and she felt the exhaustion overflow her. She turned her head to the side and glanced at Kellan. _

"_Why does life have to be so hard?" she whispered and reached out to tug his hear gently._

_She blinked and looked ahead only to see a shadow standing between the trees. She wrinkled her nose and blinked again only to discover the shadow was gone._

"_Come, Kellan," she muttered and rose from her seat and entered the cabin, making sure to lock the door behind her. She couldn't help but go to the window and cast a last glance outside towards the tree line._

"_I must be going crazy," she wrinkled her nose and looked at Kellan who tilted his head up and brushed his nose against her hand before licking her fingertips. She scratched the top of his head before grabbing his food bowl._

"_Chicken or beef?" she held two cans of dog food up and waited for a response. Kellan barked. "I should have known, both right?" Kellan let out a bark and wagged his tail as she poured the canned contents into the bowl and placed it in front of him on the floor. She smiled and watched him eat for a minute then turned and headed towards the bathroom and got in the shower._

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